The UK Secretary of State has granted development consent for the 1.5GW Outer Dowsing offshore wind farm in the southern North Sea.
The project, a joint venture between Corio, TotalEnergies and Gulf Energy Development, received approval in February .
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Situated approximately 54km off the Lincolnshire coast, the project will feature up to 100 wind turbines.
It will include an offshore accommodation platform, up to six transformer substations at sea, a maximum of two offshore reactive compensation platforms and as many as four export cables.
These cables will reach land at Wolla Bank and then proceed underground to a new substation at Surfleet Marsh.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the facility expected to generate its first power by 2030.
During the application process, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) collaborated closely with the developer, the Planning Inspectorate, and other stakeholders to thoroughly address environmental concerns.
The wind farm was included in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project Early Adopters Programme.
Through this programme, the MMO assisted in issue tracking, streamlined examination discussions and concentrated on key matters.
After consent is granted, the MMO will keep working with the developer to ensure a seamless transition into the project’s pre-construction and construction phases.
Upon completion, Outer Dowsing is set to become one of the largest offshore wind farms in the UK.
It is expected to produce renewable energy equivalent to the yearly electricity needs of more than 1.6 million homes.
This project will play a key role in helping the UK Government meet its target of 50GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
